Kamasutra is the first literary work that mentions Holi (Holaka) as a spring festival. The commentary of Jayamangala on Kamasutra describes the festival as a sprinkling of each other with coloured water on the Phalguna Full Moon (the day of Holi). The term SrngaKrida is used to describe this. Srnga means a water gun or syringe, and SrngaKrida involved throwing colored water on people with the help of Picchkari or Syringe.

Similarly, SechanaKride, is a Holi-like game depicted with a sculpture from the 12th-century Belur Chennakesava Temple. This sculpture miniature depicts a Madhanika playing the game with her attendants, filling pichkari and the attendants (in miniature) handing out water vessels.

Source: Dharmashastras – Volume 5, P.V. Kane

Vasantosava, Spring Festivals of India, Leona Anderson

Picture Credit: S. R. Ramanujam

Utsav (1984), starring Shashi Kapoor, Rekha, and Shekhar Suman is based on an ancient Sanskrit play called Mrichchhakatikam (The Little Clay Cart). The temple of Kaama, the garden attached to it, and the fair and procession of the Kaama festival are the important aspects of this enchanting play that was turned into the critically acclaimed movie Utsav. This feature serves as another ancient reference to spring festivals, depicting the popular worship of Kaama, the God of Love.

Source: indiafacts.org, Nagaraj Paturi

Picture Credit: Shruti Yatam, arre.co.in

The Khandoba temple in Jejuri near Pune celebrates the Bhandara festival. Officially it is the Somavati Amavasya festival, the new moon that coincides with a Monday. It doesn’t have a fixed date in any calendar and can happen twice or thrice in a year. Khandoba, a manifestation of Shiva, is the deity in Jejuri. On the day of the Bhandara celebration, Khandoba and his consort Mhalsa are taken to the river for a bath and then brought back in a procession. Immense quantities of turmeric mixed with coconut powder are thrown all around, turning everything yellow. The festival is a daylong affair.

Jejuri is also believed to be the location where Shivaji met his father, Shahaji, after a decade during which his father was busy with southern exploits.

Turmeric is also the medium of celebration of Holi in Kerala by Konkani migrants. The festival, which is otherwise not celebrated by natives of Kerala, is called ManjalKuli.

Source: Temples and Legends of Maharastra, M.S Mate

Picture Credit: Zee News

VirupaksasVasantotsavaChampu is a text ((by Ahobala) that is set in Hampi, the capital of the Vijayanagara kingdom. It describes a nine-night-long spring festival, Vasantotsava, celebrated in honour of Virupaksa (Siva). It describes a very elaborate Rathotsava of Shiva and Parvati. The Vijayanagara King is a central feature of the worship and celebrations. It also describes in detail class dynamics and social behavior during the festival. Interesting trivia of the hunting ritual on the following day when Shiva rides alone without Parvati is also shared through this festival.

Source: Vasanthotsava – Dances of the Spring Festival in Vijayanagar Times, Padmini Seshadri and Choodamani Nandagopal

Vasantosava, Spring Festivals of India, Leona Anderson

Picture Credit: Kolkata Museum

The name Hola is the masculine form of the feminine-sounding Holi. The custom originated in the time of Guru Gobind Singh when he held the first march at Anandpur in 1701. Unlike the traditional Holi, the Guru made it an occasion for the Sikhs to demonstrate their martial skills in simulated battles. His followers later assembled on this day to celebrate by engaging in sieges, weapon training, mock battles, and military exercises.

Hola Mohallah became an annual tournament held in the open ground near Holgarh Fort. The fort itself is named after the Holi celebrations. Sikhs in large numbers assemble at Anandpur Sahib. They take out an impressive and colourful procession. The Nihangs, in their traditional panoply, form the vanguard. They display skills in the use of arms, horsemanship, and tent pegging.

Source: The Encylopaedia of Sikhism, Volume II, Harbans Singh.

Sikhism, William Owen

Punjab Disctrit Gazetteer, Rupnagar, 1987.

Picture Credit: Hsingh43, Wikimedia Commons

Emperor Harshavardhana of Thanesar wrote three plays under the title Sri Harsha. Ratnavali was written to be performed during the spring festivities ‘Vasantotsava.’ His description of Holi resembles the present-day celebration of Holi. He writes, “Citizens are dancing at the touch of water from syringes. They are voluntarily seized by lovely women now under the exhilaration of wine. The roads all around are reverberating with wild music and songs sung by enthusiastic city dwellers, and all the quarters are rendered yellowish red with a mass of fragrant powder scattered about”.

Ratnavali is not the only ancient manuscript to mention Vasantotsava or Holi. The term Holaka is used in Mimamsa Sutra. Kathakagrhya refers to the term Rata Holake and mentions that Hola is a special rite performed for women where Raka or Full Moon is the deity. These are a few centuries before Christ.

Picture Credit: We asked Dall E, the artificial intelligence engine to simulate a picture of Ratnavali celebrations.

In Bengal, Assam and Orissa, the festival holds great significance for Krishna Bhakts. Purnima, the full moon day of the month, is also believed to be the birthday of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In Bengal, this festival leans more toward religion and philosophy. Early in the morning on Dol Purnima day, people dress up in white or saffron-colored clothing and wear flowers and/or garlands. Then they sing and dance to the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments such as the Veena, Dubri, Ektara, and so on. Holi here is also known as the Dol Jatra or Swing Festival. The idols are placed in a beautifully decorated palanquin and are taken around the main streets of the village or city where the celebration takes place. As the procession unfolds, the men keep spraying colored water, Gulal powder, and the fragrant Abeer at all passers-by.

Source: dollsofindia.com and various.

Picture Credit: NewsTrack

The Braj region (around Mathura-Vrindavan) is the venue for Lathmaar Holi. Krishna, who was from Nandgoan, planned to spoil Radha’s rosy complexion by smearing Gulal ( colours) on her face. He traveled to Barsana to achieve this mischievous feat, but this act makes the Gopis furious. They chased him and his accomplices back to Nandgaon with lathis.

Holi is celebrated most intensely in the Braj region and it usually lasts for eight days. The Krishna-Radha episode is recreated at both Nandgaon and Barsana by the local dwellers. First, the women of Barsana pretend to beat up the men of Nandgaon with lathis. The next day it is the turn of the women of Nandgaon follow-up the ritual with Barsana men. Both Holi celebrations are held at the temple complexes amidst a riot of colours and cheerful festive music.

Source: Outlook Traveller, Lasya Nadimpally

Picture Credit: Avishek Das, Flickr

The Kumaon, Khadi, or Baithki Holi is celebrated in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. It commences from the temple premises. Holi singers, or Holiyars as they are popularly referred to, gather to sing Holi songs. They are based on classical ragas and are spiritual in nature with a mass appeal.

The Khadi Holi is celebrated in rural areas. People wear traditional white churidar kurtas during celebrations. They sing simple, rustic songs and dance to the tune of simple accompaniments such as Dhol and Hurka.

Source: dollsofindia.com and various.

Picture Credit: Jagran

Aurat (1940), Comrades (1939) and Ghar Ki Laxmi (1031) all feature a Holi song. Aurat is considered as the first film with a Holi celebration on screen.  Comrades, a 1939 film features a traditional Holi song, “mope daar gayo saari rang ki gagar.” This in turn is the same song that featured in the earlier film Ghar ki Laxmi (1931) whose records are lost.

Aurat was a 1940 film directed by Mehboob Khan. The film has the Holi celebration song “Jamuna Tath ShyamKhelen Holi.” The music for the film was composed by Anil Biswas (as was for Comrades). This song had been first recorded in audio in 1910. The movie describes the travails of a young mother in an Indian village whose husband has abandoned her. If that plot sounds familiar to you, it is. Aurat was remade as Mother India by Mehboob in 1953. Interestingly, Mother India, too, featured a Holi celebration that is now legendary, “Holi Aayi Re Kanhai.”

If you know more about the Comrades song and if it featured a Holi celebration, do let us know.

Source: bollywood.blogspot.com, Ashish Dafria, atulsongaday.me

Picture Credit: YouTube

In Buddhist literature, Balanakkhatta is mentioned as a festival similar to Holi. It is celebrated for seven days. People smear themselves with cow dung and ashes and indulge in coarse talk. They stand in doorways and insult everyone who passes by, be it relatives, friends, or monks. Those who refuse to endure the coarse talk would pay them money.

In Sravasti, where Buddha lived after enlightenment, this ritual was observed, and the crowd was obnoxious. His followers advised him to stay put in the monastery along with other monks. For seven days, they sent food and escorted them to the city on the eighth day after the celebrations had ended.

Source: Buddhist Legends, Volume 28, Eugene Watson Burlingame

Picture Credit: We asked Dall E, the artificial intelligence engine to simulate a picture of a great man in the midst of Holi.